Letters To The Editor

September 03, 2005

New Orleans:

Failed Experiment

Although I am very concerned about the outcome for those who are still going through the loss and mess caused by Hurricane Katrina, I have been hearing many comments about the cost of rebuilding New Orleans.

Why would anyone -- individuals, governments or insurance companies -- even consider rebuilding a community that has existed for such a short time below sea level? Why not replace what the victims lost above sea level rather than rebuild? Call New Orleans a failed experiment in living below sea level in a hurricane zone.

Save what survived, but don't rebuild what did not.

Lyn Martin

Essex

With all the dry land available, why do we choose to live in areas where we need to build levees to hold back the water or where we know water from the ocean will come during a hurricane?

Why don't we respect water like it is, a 1,000-pound gorilla? And when the gorilla decides where it wants to go, let's go somewhere else.

Vincent Curcuru

Simsbury

Estate Tax Could

Come In Handy

In response to The Courant's Aug. 30 editorial ``Disgrace In Neglected Treasures'':

I'd like to propose that those who have china and treasure foot the bill for renovations to the Smithsonian Institution buildings. Let's eliminate Bush's tax cut for the wealthy. Let's fight the elimination of the estate tax for the richest 2 percent of Americans, a tax the president likes to call the ``death tax'' in an effort to fool working-class folks into thinking it applies to them. And let's oppose the new tax cuts currently being considered in an effort to boost Republican performance at the polls in 2006.

That should cover the cost of the Smithsonian renovations and leave money to repair other parts of our crumbling infrastructure; fund programs like No Child Left Behind; and begin to return us to some semblance of fiscal responsibility.

The wealthy have benefited most by the opportunities available in this country. They, like the rest of us, should be willing to pay their fair share to ensure that the same opportunities are available to those who come after us.

Denise M. Weeks

Glastonbury

DPW Changed

For The Better

The Aug. 28 editorial ``UConn's Shoddy Building Past,'' concerning the University of Connecticut task force, was unfairly damning of the state Department of Public Works. Stating that UConn's task force should not go backward to a time when the DPW managed UConn projects would leave one with the impression that the DPW is not competent to manage the UConn construction program.

Many of the negative examples cited in the editorial were from 10, 20, even 40 years ago. Since then, the DPW has made significant improvements internally and has sought process improvements from the General Assembly to reduce many of the cumbersome bureaucratic inefficiencies that often plague government construction projects.

It seems the editorial would have been more balanced if it had, at the very least, acknowledged the many improvements made at the DPW that might add value to the UConn process. I would have been more than happy to provide The Courant with some examples of how the DPW has recently met schedules and stayed well within budget on difficult projects and under tight time constraints similar to those that have faced UConn.

Our process improvements have helped control costly change orders, reduced claims, assured compliance with state fire and building codes, ensured fair, open and competitive bidding and eliminated outside interference in awarding state contracts.

We have established a very different culture at the DPW since the 1990s. Contracting by the government is, by design, more cumbersome than the private sector. Taxpayers' interests are protected by multiple layers of approval and many checks and balances.

Although schedules are important, quality in the product is more important than production speed. Even in the private sector, construction of large facilities is a complicated enterprise, often involving delay and cost overruns. It is simply the nature of the business. The construction of buildings and facilities is the core mission of the DPW. I am responsible for the state building program and directly accountable to the governor.

The DPW stands ready to carry out any recommendations made by the task force or, at UConn's request, to suggest internal improvements to the management and administration of their construction and maintenance program for their consideration.

James T. Fleming

Commissioner

Department of Public Works

State of Connecticut

Hartford

What's Right For

Hartford Youths?

Helen Ubinas' Aug. 30 column [``Time To Stand Up For What's Right''] discussed the sale of ``Stop Snitchin''' T-shirts being sold in Hartford, and the views of Henrietta Beckman, whose son was shot and killed in 2002. No arrests have been made in the killing. Talking about the slogan on the shirts, Ms. Beckman said: ``This is exactly why three years after my son died, I'm in exactly the same place.''